Handout for CERRUS - Corps of Engineers & River Recreation Users Summit, Friday 6 May 2005
UMRA very much appreciates that COL Stephen Hill, District Engineer, Pittsburgh District, US Army Corps of Engineers, and his district staff, have organized their CERRUS initiative to reach out to the recreational boating community and to address ways to improve recreational boating that fit within current federal law and Corps mandates.
This perhaps could lead to innovative low-cost or no-cost short-term solutions towards keeping our Upper Allegheny and Upper Monongahela locks open on schedules more favorable for recreational boaters, which would also be an important economic development boost for river communities.
The core problem is that the Corps has no legal basis for supporting recreational boating. By law, Corps waterways facilities (eg, locks) operate only in support of river commerce.
The overall solution to this problem is that Congress needs to add recreational boating needs to the Corps "job jar." Current law requires that the Corps operate locks to meet only the needs of commercial users of our rivers. Thus, when river commerce declines as has occurred on the Upper Allegheny and Upper Mon, lock hours are cut, to the detriment of recreational boaters and to the economic development of river communities.
The Pittsburgh District's CERRUS initiative, however, may well help all parties to find interim ways to improve the plight of the region's recreational boaters, until such time as Congress legislates that support of recreational boating needs is to become a Corps mandate.
We certainly need such interim solutions, now, for operating the Pittsburgh District's locks on the Upper Allegheny and the Upper Monongahela , with the maximum hours feasible for the locks being open for recreational boaters.
Restricted lock hours hurt marinas, shore-side restaurants, and boating clubs that rely on recreational boaters. Insufficient lock hours also deter visits by long-range boaters, high passenger capacity cruise boats, and by recreational boaters who like to make day-long excursions along the river and through several locks. Fishing (eg, bass) tournaments also are deterred by restricted lock hours, as such tourneys need access to several pools through the locks.
Please visit our UPPERMON.ORG website for information on the "lock hours" problem.
Under our UPPERMON.ORG home page Menu item "Lock Hours," please note A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT & FULLY FUND NAVIGATION NEEDS ON OUR NATION'S RIVERS. This Resolution is offered by UMRA, the RIVER NAVIGATION COALITION, and, BOATERS ARE VOTERS. And, in the body of the home page, please check out our INTERIM SOLUTION FOR UPPER MON LOCK HOURS, and, the UPPER MONONGAHELA RIVER AUTOMATION STUDY. Public support for these three initiatives can help us to persuade Congress to address the needs of both commercial and recreational users of our nation's navigable rivers, and their locks and dams constructed and operated by the Corps of Engineers.
UMRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, several of whom are at this meeting:
PRESIDENT, Brooks Javins, Javins Corporation, 1000 Dupont Road, Building 403, P. O. Box 491, Morgantown WV 26507-0491, 304-292-3234 (fax: 3235), email bunnyjavins@verizon.net . Home phones 304-292-3226 and 304-598-9000. Brook's cell phone 304-282-3335. The UMRA Flagship, the Javins sternwheeler CINDY, is docked at their home at Old Lock Nine on the Monongahela River, located across river from and just south of the Fort Martin powerplant.
VICE PRESIDENT, Barry Pallay, 124 Diamond Court, Morgantown WV 26505. 304-599-2077 and 304-598-8925. Email bpallay@aol.com . Cell phone 304-276-3792.
SECRETARY and TREASURER, Donald C. Strimbeck, 109 Broad Street, P. O. Box 519, Granville WV 26534-0519. 304-599-7585 (fax: 4131). Email dcsoinks@adelphia.net .
BOARD MEMBER, webmaster, and CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER, Wallace S. Venable, 393 Helmick Road, Morgantown WV 26501-2099. 304-328-5128 and 304-599-9382. WVU office is 304-293-3111 ext 2341. Email Wallace.Venable@mail.wvu.edu .
BOARD MEMBER, Debra Javins (nickname Bunny), address, etc., same as for Brooks Javins. Cell phone 304-282-3226.
BOARD MEMBER, Betty L. Wiley, 373 Dunkard Avenue, Westover WV 26501. 304-292-3946. Email BETTYW304@aol.com . Work phone at WVU is 304-293-6366. WVU fax 293-7417.
BOARD MEMBER, G. Thomas Bartlett, 302 McGraw Avenue, Grafton WV 26354. 304-265-0531. Cell 304-288-5421. Tom is mayor of Grafton, and, owner of THE ENCHANTRESS, 52-foot Coastal Cruiser, docked at Star City, WV.